The present invention is directed to network communication arrangements, and especially to network communication addressing arrangements in environmental control systems.
Network designs may be limited to a predetermined number of addresses for communication with various network stations. By way of example and not by way of limitation, an environmental control or environmental conditioning system may be limited to a predetermined number of addresses for addressing conditioning elements (e.g., heating and air conditioning units), temperature sensor units, and other units useful in operating an environmental control system.
There may be applications for which it is desirable to employ a greater number of communication nodes or stations than may be addressed by the predetermined number of addresses. By way of example and not by way of limitation, large systems using a large number of networked conditioning elements may require more addresses than provided by the predetermined number of addresses for proper implementation. By way of further example and not by way of limitation, adding sensors such as temperature sensors, relative humidity sensors, carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors or other devices with which communications may be effected when using the network can also establish a need for a greater number of addresses than the predetermined number of addresses provided by a system.
There is a need for an apparatus and method for treating addresses in an environmental control network that avails a network system of an increased number of addresses than initially provided for the system.